Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Why so much tactical stuff?

As a hunter I want a light sleek rifle with a flush magazine . A single shot rifle is even more compact, leverguns are easy to carry all day .
An AR is too awkward to carry on a horse, they are not sleek and all the projections would catch on brush etc while hunting.
I often carry two rounds, both in the magazine ready for use with my repeaters. The balance are in the pack. It works well.
So, is the tactical wave a way to increase sales in an industry that is serving a smaller hunting community? Is it all for those that like a follow trends? Is it defined by age? If it is driven by those that play games of violent shooting on their computer or ultra violent movies , we are all in trouble, imo
My guess is that the real professionals, ex serviceman who used them in warfare have little interest in them as civilians.
I would like to hear from( more) ex military types and how they feel about this trend. Curious, folks.

comerade,


For many shooting is fun. When I was working, myself and several co-workers/vets got together twice a month to train, mostly w/ ARs and handguns. We have a lot of interesting terrain here and would set up courses of fire w/ targets from 3 yards-400 yards requiring movement and a variety of positions and solutions. Shot timers were frequently used and the competition was good natured but fierce and everyone worked hard to improve and learn new TTPs. I typically arrived w/ at least 2 ARs and 2 Glocks and a short ton of ammo. These were 6-8 hour affairs and we had a ball as well as improving a lot of skills.

The world of "defensive" shooting has evolved massively since 9/11 and "real world" standards are no longer opinions or theories but factual methods developed and proven in the most unforgiving of crucibles. What actually works is now knowledge available to all and attainable to some degree if that sort of thing interests you and you are willing to put in the effort.


mike r

I think it depends on the individual. Those that were never around guns before joining the military seem to have a liking to them after they leave service. Many of is that were around guns and hunted prefer the more traditional style of guns. This is just my limited observation, and then there are people that like both. I believe they both have a place and purpose. After I get my two builds together, my opinion on AR's may change.

I'll be your huckleberry. After a career in the Army, and serving in Iraq, I was adamantly anti "black-gun." I felt like an M16 was my work rifle used for killing man, whereas wood and blued rifles were "hunting rifles."

My sons, however, were all about ARs and wanted to build a couple. I resisted, but eventually let them have their way. Finally, after some time, I joined them at the range and shot their ARs.

Maybe it was nostalgia, maybe trying to regain my youth, but I really enjoyed it - it felt like an old friend and I had instant familiarity, ease and comfort with the AR rifle.

Since then, I've done a complete 180' - I've sold off most of my wood and blue guns and have gone in full-bore with ARs. It's an extremely enjoyable hobby to me and easy to work on and make changes versus a bolt rifle.

No, I don't wear tacti-cool clothing or buy "combat" gear to shoot at the range. More often than not, you'll see me shooting my ARs wearing Levis and a Stetson.

The AR has brought in new shooters and to a large degree re-energized the shooting sports with the younger generation.

Where the fugg did your stupid ass get that ? Goddammit you're a f^cktard. And a mouthy little bastard too. I guess you must be the type who would fish the aquarium at Bsss Pro and have that 15 pound bass proudly displayed on your living room wall. About like the Texans that are all proud of those purposely fed and raised "managed" ranch bucks. Most of those ass holes couldn't find a spikehorn to shoot on public land.

I agree with these sentences . i own a old farm that i purchased over 20 years ago with my hard earned money ,while i raised my kids and put them thru college. we are part of the white tax paying middle class people so money is tight. but i finally now have that hunting land paid for my family,friend and myself hunt on. my land is posted , i paid for it ,we shoot a decent buck or 2 every year .would i allow the public on my land ? no way ! i don`t care if someone from my family uses a black gun,pink gun green gun as long as they tag the deer they shoot themselves.

Who's land did you guys hunt on when you were young ? When I started there was unposted private property all over the place to hunt and yes I hunted it. So did a lot of other selfish pricks who now have property of their own and won't let anybody hunt other than family or close friends. It's no wonder young folks aren't getting into the sport these days. You want to know why ? Just look in the mirror.

God forbid a man buys himself some land and doesn’t let every swinging dick on it as they see fit. No need to help pay taxes, help maintain the land or give anything back to the man who pays those bills.

I guess all private landowners are a bunch of selfish ässholes. 🙄

More likely they are just tired of free losers trashing their land and I don’t blame them. Funny you talk about having trouble getting access to private lands to hunt as I haven’t had that problem. Of course I always say thank you, offer to help out around the place and always send a thank you card and a gift after the fact. Funny enough I have always been welcomed back and formed solid friendships with many of these folks.

Just got back a few weeks ago from a great permit spring bear hunt here in WA where I had the run of several thousand acres of private posted land chock full of bears. Hell the land owners bought US pizza and beer one night, chopped brisket and sides the next and steak and taters another night!

I got home and promptly sent a thank you card with enough gift cards for the lady of the house to have a spa day and lunch with her friend and the man of the ranch got a new pair of Meopta 10x42’s as he’s a typical farmer and won’t spend money on good glass.

Got a heartfelt thanks for my generosity and an invite back any time I want. Guess it helps to give back to the farmers and nurture those relationships.


Probably a lesson/clue for you in my post somewhere but I doubt you’ll ever learn it

I know where he got that. This quote ." I have come home from work and as soon as I pulled in the driveway saw an orange clad hunter perched on a log in my woods 100 yards from the house. I went up and introduced myself. Told the guy I didn't care if he sat there so long as he didn't shoot in the direction of the house. "
By definition, that's a poacher in this state. He MUST have written permission in his pocket before he sets up to hunt in this state. It MUST be specific to the property, the year/season must be marked, and it must be signed by BOTH of you. He must be able to produce it by demand to any game officer. Anything less, and he IS a poacher. I usually have a land owner sign off for each hunter in our group, in 2 years groups (so I'm legal this year, and next year, so I don't need to bother him without need). But he must sign the permission slips for every single hunter, even when hunting as a group.
So, if he shows up uninvited, on your land, without your written approval to show, he is in clear violation of the law (at least locally. And weither or not you approve. )

Geezus you're as stupid as these other jackwagons on here. I never said I have trouble getting permission to hunt on private land you idiot. In fact I have permission on several tracts spanning 6 Counties in upstate NY. I also have several million acres of State land to hunt here and I'm no stranger to it. Who's land did you hunt on when you first started out ?

I’ve hunted a combo of state and private posted land my entire life. Every piece of private I’ve ever been able to hunt going back to my start at 9 years old is land I got permission on myself.

My father and grandfather taught me to hunt and also to be responsible to the landowners. They never once knocked on a door for me, nor did they spend their summers bucking hay, fixing fences or other general chores to ensure my continued access. Nope they taught my the value of that access and left the sweat equity up to me!

Never once did I get upset that someone told me no as I was and am damn sure they have their reasons and again it’s their land and not mine. But like I said I give back to them however I can to show my appreciation and the invites continue year to year.

But unlike yourself I don’t expect handouts or someone to allow me access to something that isn’t mine as your posts seem to indicate you do!

By your rationale no one should have a bank account either. Just get paid in cash and keep it on your porch for everyone to take as they see fit.

No as normal the moron here is YOU!

Dang, the gunwriters forum is almost as entertaining as the optics forum.

Geezus christ another idiot reading shyt into my posts that isn't there ! What a surprise. The point is, you didn't need to get permission to hunt private land back when I started because not everybody was a selfish ass hole and posted their land. My biggest decision back then was where I wanted to go out of the dozens of unposted farms/tracts of land. Trophy hunters who are afraid somebody else might shoot their big buck on their property are the biggest reason most of it got posted over the years.

Laughing at you...

What a miserable POS and dumb as a rock to boot...

You can't handle the truth. Talk about miserable pieces of shyt. Idiot.

I'd share a campfire with Blackheart anytime. His hunting style and hunting background seem very similar to mine and like him I miss the old days when very little land was Posted. And if it was we took it to mean P.lenty O.f S.quirrels T.urkeys E.ven D.eer.

GregW, I googled Blackheart, and this popped up....

The Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which people mistakenly assess their cognitive ability as greater than it is. It is related to the cognitive bias of illusory superiority and comes from the inability of people to recognize their lack of ability. Without the self-awareness of metacognition, people cannot objectively evaluate their competence or incompetence As described by social psychologists, the cognitive bias of illusory superiority results from an internal illusion in people of low ability.

LOL, the old-fashioed way would've been to dust off the Webster's and Look up "Dumbass."

i have always have hunted on family or friends land in my home state,even when i was a kid ,my reason to many idiots on state or federal land.the reason kids don`t hunt as much broken families,liberals and no Christ in their lives. My grandkids are little but my 6 year old grandson is learn`n with his red rider BB gun right now and so will the rest of my grandkids with me. plus i am also coaching neighbor boys the correct way to shoot registered trap " clay pigeons ".i have taught a few kids archery that have gone on to be F.S. state champions too. some have hunted with me on my private land too. i still believe private land is much safer to hunt on and to see deer move natural and we don`t kill all deer ever.,this brown and its down crap is just wrong thats how people get hurt or killed.

Yeah I sure miss seeing all the land with no signs on it. Those POSTED signs all over are really uglying things up nowdays.